ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA Edition 428193 - Earth English Definition: 'Laputa' A Language English1 term pertaining to naturally occurring, stable landscapes continuously suspended within the atmosphere of a planet. Such structures must make no continuous contact with greater solid or liquid surfaces. Such structures must dwarf in size all other singular entities within their vicinity. Such structures must maintain integrity after a one percent (1%) mass collision. Also known as 'aeaea' or by other conventionalized mythical or fictional names.2 A laputa can exist within any planetary atmosphere, however they have only been associated with gas giants and hypergiants.3 This is due to the need for permanent or quasi-permanent atmospheric conditions – such as the Great Red Spot on Jupiter4 - that maintain structural stability. Giants are dotted with such structures which have been recorded to persist for tens (10) of millions (106) years.5 Within the 'eye' of these phenomena there can be regions of stable equilibrium where atmospheric updrafts balance the force of gravity. Co-incident with a permanent low pressure system which forces suspended matter into its centre. This is what some call a 'well of wind' that collects as opposed to disperses material. Even a hydrogen giant, though poor in heavier elements, has sufficient material to congregate into these places of equilibrium. Most of the material (82%) circulates as a form of permanent rain within the updraft. The remainder will clump into a thin surface6 held aloft by the force of impacting material beneath. Thus a floating land mass takes shape. The overall structure of a laputa is similar in shape to a mushroom. The 'cap'7 is a wide8 solid crust supported by successfully less dense layers of particulates forced up from below. The 'stalk' is the up lifted material stream; a slush like spray of compressed gases, carbon/nitrogen compounds, dirt and ices. It continuously bombards the under layers of the 'cap', supporting it and replacing material which may have broken off and/or fallen from the edges. The shape of a laputa will change over a period of centuries due to this persistent uprising and erosion. The violent collision of particulates in the 'stalk' also create intense static electrical discharges that ground to and energize the crust above. And it is normal for fissures to open through the 'cap' allowing parts of the material stream to blast through to the surface. This makes the surface an inherently violent place often unsuitable for the permanent dwelling of complex lifeforms. Only the very largest laputa with thicker crusts are known to have formed their own surface ecology. Smaller structures can not provide sufficient long term environmental stability to give rise to their own native lifeforms. However laputa will attract resident atmospheric life and nano-ecologies9 by virtue of the raw resources and energy they provide. Energization of carbons and nitrogenous materials create complex hydrocarbons on the surface. A rich and accessible food source for lifeforms which can remove themselves at a moments notice. The term 'laputa' is derived from the fictional land of Laputa named in the novel 'Gulliver's Travels' by author Johnathan Swift.10 However unlike the Laputa of fiction, natural laputa are not driven or maintained through magnetic forces. See references: 1Civilization Humanity: Linguistic Types 2Civilization Humanity: Mythology 3Definitions: Giant and Hypergiant Planets 4Planet Jupiter: Summary 5Civilization Humanity: Scientific Standards 6Observed thicknesses range from 70m to 1400m. 7Also called the 'island'. 8Observed dimensions range from 629m to 1451km. 9Definition: 'Nano-Ecology' 10Civilization Humanity: Members of Note